eaton



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. s. EATON. BNGRAVING MACHINE.

No. 409,026. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.,

N. PETERS. Piwla ukhogmpur. wnshingmn. D, C

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- W. S. EATON.

BNGRAVING MACHINE.

10.409.025 Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

'Vs/: 55555. lr-Lx/E- Em A mi W 'zbmrnay UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM S. EATON, OF SAG HARBOR, ASSIGNOR TO THE FAHYS VATOH OASE COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

ENGRAVING-IVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,026, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed February 26 188,9. .Serial No. 301,255. (No model.)

.To all zoll/0172, it may concerne:

Be it known that '1, VILLIAM S. EATON, of Sag Harbor, county of Suffolk, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engraving Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of engraving-machines which employ in connection with the engraving-tool an electrical apparatus for operating said engravingetool, which electricalapparatus is located .in a circuit controlled by the movements of a tracer or stylus arranged to move over the surface of a pattern or model and to follow the configuration thereof, so that the making and breaking of the electrical current by the movement of the aforesaid stylus or tracer upon the face of the pattern will cause the current to be established and broken according to the relative positions of the tracer and pattern, whereby theengraving-tool is caused to move backward and forward or up and down, as the case may be, corresponding in its movements (only in a less degree) with the movements of the tracer, thus causing the article to be engraved, or which is being operated upon, to be cut or carved in a manner similar to that of the original.

Heretofore it has been customary7 in constructing machines of this nature to provide a model or pattern of some metallic substance and to so construct and arrange the machine that the said pattern would form and constitute a part of the electrical circuit, so that when contact was made the current would flow through the circuit and it would be made and broken according to the depressions and elevations upon the said pattern, and this action would produce a corresponding picture upon the article to be engraved. These machines possess certain drawbacks, inasmuch as the patterns are liable to become soiled and dusty, in which case they refuse to perform their proper functions, as they fail to permitthe flow of the electrical current, thus permitting uneven work, and my present invention is designed, particularly, to obviate this drawback and to construct a machine that is not dependent upon a pattern or model as a part of the circuit. To this end I provide one of any suitable material and mount it on a rotating shaft and connect it with the main shaft by suitable gearing. The article to be engraved is mounted upon the end of this shaft, and directly in front of it is located a lever pivotally supported and provided with a burin or engraving-tool protruding from it on one side, an armature being mounted upon the other side at or contiguous to the top, which armature is adapted to be drawn forward by means of an electro-magnet when the circuit is established and to be thrown backward by means of a powerful spring when the circuit is broken.

Upon the main frame of the machine I provide a suitable sliding carriage or block and extend therefrom an arm or frame carrying a lever. This lever extends over the pattern and is provided with a tracer or stylus for traveling over the surface thereof. It is also provided with a second lever carrying a suitable contact-point properly insulated and connected to the electrical conductor. The said contact-point is adapt-ed to move up and down with the last-named lever. The frame is also provided with an elastic arm above the two levers for supporting the other contact-point, the latter being fixed and having no relative movement except so far as the spring-arm is concerned. This contact-point is mounted in a glass cylinder or globe, which serves as a support and as an insulator, and also pro-v will cause a similar movement of the armaanism and a portion of the frame. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. is a detail view of the gear-wheel of the feeding mechanism, drawn to a larger scale. Fig. l is a detail view, partly in section, also drawn to a larger scale, of the glass supporter and the contact-points.

In the drawings, A A is the main frame of the machine, on which the carriage or block B travels backward and forward and relatively to the pattern or model N. Through a lug or shoulder 3', which extends downwardly beneath the main frame A, is placed a screw C. This screw is supported in the shoulder i and also in the lug A of the mainframeA, and it is provided with a crankarm or handle L for operating it at times. The screw C is also provided at the farther end with a beveled gear E, which interineshes with and is adapted to be operated by the horizont-al beveled gear F. The screw C is threaded through the shoulder B', and it revolves through the medium of the transmitting' mechanism, above referred to, it causes the block or carriage ll to advance.

Mounted on the block or carriage B is an upright post D, which carries an arm G. This arm extends inwardly and over the normal position of the pattern or model and is capable of vertical adjustment upon the post D, and is adapted to be locked in any desired position by means of the thumb-screw ll, so that the models or patterns of various forms and thicknesses may be employed with equal efficacy and without disturbing the efficiency of the machine in this respect. Pivotally attached to the arm G is a lever G, the pivot being a horizontal one, thus providing for a vertical Swingin g movement of the lever. This lever is provided at its farther end with the tracer or stylus S, arranged vertically in the same and locked in position by means of a thu1ub-screw S. By this means the stylus or tracer can be removed, renewed, or adjusted from time to time, as may be desired. Above the lever G is a second lever Q, also pivotally attached `in the arm G at Q. This lever also is adapted to swing vertically on its pivot, and is provided with a contact-point O, suitably insulated by the non-conductingmaterial P at the end of the lever. This is shown in detail view in Fig. l. The electrical cond uctor lV is attached to this contact-point., as shown in this figure, and said contact-point is adapted to move up and down with the le ver Q, to which it is attached.

The arm G is provided with an elastic extension R, rigidly attached to said arm and adapted on its outer end to support the other contact-point O and electrical conductor V. Mounted upon the end of the arm R is a glass globe orcylinder M, surrounding and protecting contact-points from dust and other foreign influences. The contact-point O can be adj listed within this glass cylinder by means of screw-head O2, as shown, and is set to any desired position. The lower contact-point O moves up and down, as before stated, in unison with its supporting-lever Q, and the contact is made and broken within the cylinder M, the moving eoutactpoint 0 being adapted to travel up and down freely therein,suitable packing N being provided to prevent the entrance of dust into the cylinder.

The purpose of the spring-arm R is to make the contact more certain. Thus where the stylus or tracer S is passing over the raised parts of the model or pattern the points 0 and O will come together, and when the stylus reaches the highest part of the pattern the point O will be forced against the point O', and the pressure of the two points together will be equal to the strength or resistance of the spring-arm R. The latter will give sufficiently to prevent any undue strain on the parts.

As before stated, the screw C is provided at its inner end with a beveled gear-wheel E. This wheel is shown in front elevation in Fig. 3, and is provided on this face with a serrated portion J, against which a pawl l( is held by means of a suitable spring K. The arm l, which bears the pawl l, is made fast to the screw-shaft C, so that when the wheel E is turning in the direction indicated by the arrow the serrated portion will engage with the pawl K and the screw-shaft C will be rotated, thus feeding the carriage B inwardly and carrying the stylus or tracer over the face of the model or pattern, lVhen the carriage B is to be'retracted or withdrawn, the crank-arm L is turned and the pawl l( slides over the serrated surface. The carriage may thus be drawn back to its original position without interfering with the position of gear-wheel E. The latter, as before stated, receives its motion from the horizontal gear-wheel F. This gear-wheel is mounted on the short vertical shaft T, securely set into the main frame of the machine. At the bottoni of the shaft isa second horizontal bevel gear-wheel U, which intermeshes with and receives its movement from the bevel gear-wheel U. This latter wheel is set on the main shaft X of the machine. Upon the outer end of this shaft is placed the watch-case back X' or other article to be engraved, and as the shaft rotates the watch-case back will rotate with it, and by reason of the construction of the intermeshing gear-wheels the revolutions of the watch-case back and the pattern or model will be simultaneous or synchronous. The burin or engraving-tool Y is mounted on thc vertical lever Y', pivoted at its lower end, as shown, and provided at its upper end with an iron plate Y2, which constitutes the armature of an electro-magnet Z. A spring Z is provided, which forces thelever 'Y outwardly and presses the cutting-tool against the watchcase back when the circuit is open.

IOO

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Any suitable means may be employed for transmitting the feeding movement from the main shaft to the carriage C', which supports the electro-magnets and the swinging armature. I have shown bevel-gearing Z2 and shaft Z3, with cog-wheel Z4, which meshes with cog- 4 wheel Z5 on main shaft, for accomplishing' this purpose, though I do not limit myself to any special form of mechanism. A battery is shown at V.

It will be seen from the above that the electrical current is established in the circuit without the necessity of employing a model or pattern of conducting material, as the latter lies outside of the circuit, and I desireto claim this feature as a novel and useful one.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The article to be engraved is placed upon the end of the main shaft and in a position opposite to the burin or engraving-tool. The model or pattern is then mounted upon the vertical shaft T, (see Fig. 2,) vthe carriage B is drawn outward, and the stylus or tracer and the supporting-arm G are suitably adjusted and arranged. The machine is then started, and the rotation of the main shaft will cause the watch-case back or the other article to be engraved and the pattern' or model to revolve in unison. Through the medium of the bevel gear-wheels F and E the screw-shaft C is also turned, and the carriage B, which supports the stylus or tracer, is fed inwardly and toward the center of the pattern. At the same time the carriage C will be fed transversely across the face of the article being engraved, the construction and arrangement of the feeding mechanism being such that the time occupied by the stylus or tracer in moving from the circumference to the center of the model or pattern will be the same as the time it takes the burin or engraving-tool to travel from the edge to the center of the article to be engraved. The movements of these parts are thus made simultaneous or synchronous.

TWhen the circuit is closed and the stylus or tracer occupies the position shown in Fig. 2, the armature will be drawn to the electromagnet and the burin or engraving-tool away from the article to be engraved. When, however, the circuit is opened bythe stylus dropping into one of the depressions or cutaway portions which form the configuration on the surface of the pattern, the armature will fall away from the electro-magnets and the spring will force the burin or engraving- Itool into the article to be engraved.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an engraving-machine, an engravingtool operated by means of an electrical current and a model or pattern arranged to make and break the circuit, but lying outsideV of and not forming part of said circuit.

2. In an engraving-machine, an engravingtool operated through the medium of an electrical current, in combination with suitable contact-points and a model or pattern arranged to make and break the contact, but lying outside of the circuit.

3. In an engraving-machine, the engravingtool or burin attached to and forming part of an armature, in combination with said armature, an electro-magnet, means, substantially as shown and described7 for making and breaking' the current, and a pattern or model formed of non-conducting material.

4. In an engraving-machine, the combination of a pattern or model formed of non-conducting material, a stylus or tracer arranged to move over the face of the model, suitable contact points, arranged substantially as shown and described, and an electro-magnet having an armature provided with an engraving-tool, all arranged as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In an engraving-machine, the combination of a rotating pattern or model formed of non-conducting material, an overhanging arm having a lever provided with a stylus or tracer for following the configurations upon the pattern, a make-and-break contact adapted to be opened and closed by the vertical movements of the tracer upon the pattern, and an engraving-tool operated through the medium of the electrical current, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an engraving-machine, the combination of a pattern or model rotating in a horizontal plane, an arm vertically adjustable in relation to said pattern, a lever hung in said arm provided with a stylus or tracer, a second lever arranged to be operated by the vertical movement of the stylus so as to make and break the contact, and an engraving-tool adapted to be operated by the make and break of the electrical current.

7 In an engraving-machine, the combina tion of a pattern or model suitably mounted and adapted to rotate, an arm extending over and above the said pattern or model, a tracer or stylus pivotally supported in the arm, two contact-points adapted to be opened and closed by the movement of the stylus, an electrical circuit, an electro-magnet, and a vibrating lever carrying an armature and an engraving-tool.

S. In an engraving-machine, the combination of a horizontally-turning model or pattern, an arm, a lever pivoted in said arm and carrying a stylus or tracer, a second lever also pivoted in this arm and provided with a contact-point, a spring-bar attached to the arm and provided with the other contactpoint, and an engraving-tool operated by the opening and closing of the circuit.

9. In an engraving-machine, the combination of a horizontally-rotating model or pattern, an arm carrying a stylus vertically ad- IOO IIO

jusmble relatively to the pattern, a levelI em?- mnged substantially as and for the purposes rying' a contact-point insulated therefrom set fox-1,11.

:uulvadoptedwto be operated by tl1e Veltleal WAL S, EATON. mmement of the stylus, :m elastle zum Carry- 5 ing 5L glass globe or cylinder :unl the other lVtnesses:

Contact-point with the electrical conductors, THOS. F. BISGOOD,

:u1 electro-magnet, and the armatu1e,all m- ANNIE ROSE. 

